It may surprise you but Roatan has a hot season and some rainy seasons. Although it is humid year around, rain fall can be scarce during the hot season, resulting in many beautiful, sunny days.

Roatan is located at 16° 18' 0" N latitude and 86° 33' 0" W longitude, which places it almost midway between the Tropic of Cancer (23° 30' 0" N latitude) and the Equator. This geographical location gives the island of Roatan a Tropical climate. Tropical climates occur in the zones between the latitudes of 5/10° and 35° and in these regions the temperatures remain high during the entire year and show a wide variation in annual precipitation between the wet and dry seasons.

On Roatan the dry season starts in April and goes through mid to late July. This period is very dry and the weather consists of sunny day after sunny day with the temperature increasing from an average of 29°C, in April, to 30°C in July. This period is very warm and somewhat humid although the humidity on the Island is moderated by a steady easterly trade wind that blows throughout this period. For sun lovers this is as good as it gets.

The shoulder season starting in March shows a steady decrease in rainfall (from the peak rainfall in February), which continues into the dry season starting in April. This is a very pleasant time of year with a few scattered showers to cool things off slightly and temperatures just slightly cooler (see chart below).

The first rainy season starts as early as mid to late June but more typically mid to late July and goes until early September followed by a short dry spell during later September and early October. The late fall is characterized by good stretches of weather with short periods, a day or two, of rain followed by a week or more of good weather. This can often be a great time since the occasional rain tends to offer some relief from the heat and is very refreshing, with this pattern continuing December through mid January.

The peak raining season is short and extends from mid January through to the end of February. Strong winds can accompany the rain during this season along with slightly cooler weather, making a very light wind breaker a possible clothing option for travellers who are on the island during this time.

Keep in mind that this is a tropical region and even the coldest night of the coldest day is still very comfortable with a coolest average temperature of 27°C occurring in December and January. The peak average temperature is 31°C and occurs in September.